The Attack On Charleston

Washington, April 12. The steamer Fkmbaau arrived hure th8 afternoon with dispatüheu fro.n Adiiiiral Du pont to tho government The report froin the several oommwn ders h;id nut been received up to the time of the departure of the Flumbeau Wednesdav night. From 01 her thanofficial sources, t is ascertained that. tho veeeln composing the fleet advanced upon Charleston, on the 7th, in the following order : Wee hawken, üaptain Rogers ; Paesatc Captain Dpajtou ; Montauk, Oaptaic Worden; Putapseo, Captain Aromen; Ironsides, the flag-ship, Commandei Turner with Admiral Dupont and his staffon board ; uext followed the Catskill, Captain Geo. Rogers ; Nantuckut, Captain Fairfax; Nar.ant, Capt. Downs; md Kook uk, Capt. Khind. In this order they procetídtíd up the main chaone!, arnving wichin 1,700 yards of the main forts, The Ironsides becatrie unmanageable owing to the tide and the Darrowoese of the channel, and was therelore obliged to drop anchor to prevent drifting atihore. Owina: to these circumatances sbe signaled her consorts todisregard her motions The remaindei' of the squadron continued on its cnurse and soon catne within easy range of the 'ebel fire from all points. The obstructons of the ehannel from Fort, Sumpter to Moultrio interfered with the progresa of our ships. In conseqnence of his, and the potsitino of the Ironside.s, as above stated, the plan of operationa was dtranged, and the spaje for manoBiivering being from 500 lo 1,000 vards, the vessels were obliged to prelare and at once engage the fort and ,he adjacent batteries. The sitrna! had been made for actiin it half-past three o'clook in the aliérnoon, by tne Ironsides, but the rebelu ïad previously openod firo on the leadng vessels. The contest is represented as in the highest degree exciÜDg, preenting a fearful suene of lire b'lchinar rom all points on the land and water, i continuous roar of cannon. In the oourse of thirly or fn'rty minutes the veokuk was in a sinking condition, nd was obliijed tu withdraw from the re and seek an anchorage below the angeof the enemy'n guns. A few mintes afterward.s all the vessels withdrew, rom a signal from the flag-ship, t being eemed impracticable to continue any urther hostilities. The Kejkuk was within five hundred or six bundred yarda of rort Sumpíer, and was completely ridd.'ed - struuk from all the batteries vvitliin range at least ninety tiraes in thirty minutes. New York, M;trch 12 - Midmglit. The following dispatch hus been reeeived irom a gentleman on board the steamer M'ary Sanford : Moreliead City, N. C, Apri! 10, J via Fortres Monroe, Apri'l 12. J We passed three of the fleet off Charleston on the 9th inst., at 10 A. M Wealher clear and pleasant. The Mon ïtors were ranged along the beach of Cumrcings' Point al! in good order. We were boarded by one of the pilots of the expedition who stated that the Ironsides and.several of the Monitors attacked Sumpter Tuesday the 7th, and paseed eome diatunce above the forte. Eeceiving some 200 shots, a pointed sht of English manufacturo penatrated the iroo-olad Keokuk, and she stink in twelve hotirs af'ter near the beach, the other iron-clads passed through 'heshowerof shot and sliell uninjured or with trifling damage. - The casualtiea reported were very ftw. Capt. Rhind, of the Keokuk, was siightly inj ii red by a bolt. As regards the future movements reporte are conflfbting. It was positively stated by one of the pilote who boarded us that the Monitors would withdraw over the bar, and further action for the present would be suspended This was siibecqiicntly cori'oborated by a reporter for a New York paper. An ofiicer from the Jamea Adger, who reviously boarded, stated that the engagement would be renewed about 1 o'cloek P. M , and added that the Adrnirul yxpre.-sed his belief of succes. No torpedoes are reported to have exploded. We left tho flest at poon, and when about twenty fire miles liorth, beard heavy firing. The above was a private dispatch addressed to Col. Santord, ly&T Davis, ín a report to tho rebel Congress on the lnstory and con dition of telegraph linas, urges that the interests of northern persons in them iinounting to $373,750, be soquestered. Tlie report further proposes lo seize nfP Bouthüi'P ti'legraph linea, and turn them )vor to the rebel post office department, jovoniiiient indonlBifying reb'el ownurs 'or thoir losse s by the act.